---- Original message ----
>From: John Hudson <OM4T@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Do not travel on Amtrak to get there because you could end up going the wrong
>way since "[t]he Federal Railroad Administration insists that all trains must
>be painted with an "F" at the front, so you can tell which end is which." Your
>choochoo train might be missing the F !
This has been an FRA requirement for at least 60-70 years. It's an important
safety feature, as the train crew has to know which way the engine will move
when the throttle is placed in the "forward" position. While it's obvious on
modern locomotives which end is the front, on many older ones it is NOT
obvious. In fact, the same model of engine could, for example, have the "F" on
one end on the Pennsylvania RR and the "F" on the other end on the Norfolk &
Western RR. The Reading was even known to change its mind on which end was the
"F" end at times. As with nearly all railroad rules, these rules were written
in blood.
Steve Troy
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